Dog collars have been used in different configurations to train canines for many years. Some of the more simpler dog collars are choke collars in which one end of the collar slidably receives the body of the collar and the lead is attached to the free end of the collar such that pulling the lead (leash) results in the canine being choked to control the movement of the animal, similar to the dog collar disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,701, granted on Feb. 15, 2011, to Barbara Gordon. Similarly, the dog control apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,274, granted to John Moynihan on Sep. 28, 2004, incorporates a slip lead mechanism engaged with the dog's muzzle that results in lowering the dog's head when tension is applied. Other dog collars have been sold as training devices, but few have been effective in making a significant change in the behavior of the animal. Some such dog collars are focused on a more passive approach to training the animal and are devoid of any corrective qualities or attributes.
One popular dog training collar incorporating traditional structure for changing canine behavior is often referred to as a pinch or prong collar. The pinch collar is generally an all-metal collar and often draws criticism because of the appearance of the collar. The pinch collar is often referred to as looking like a medieval torture device because of the large protruding prongs on the inside surface of the training collar. The pinch collar has other drawbacks in that the links of the all metal dog collar can be difficult to remove and reconnect, which is attributable in at least part to the inflexible properties of the metal from which the pinch collar is constructed. However, such collars do create an aversion in the animal that results in long lasting changes in canine behavior.
One alternative to the pinch collar is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,579, granted to Don Sullivan on Jan. 22, 2013, in which the respective links of the pinch collar are pivotally interconnected and incorporate a releasable fastener that connects adjacent collar links. In the Sullivan pinch collar, the number of links can be adjusted to provide a better fit for differently sized dogs. Nevertheless, the V-shaped prongs 24, 26 on each respective link of the dog collar retain the distinctive appearance that is often found to be displeasing to dog owners.
Other dog collar devices incorporate a higher level of technology by incorporating electronics that emit a noise or a deliver an electrical shock in response to input from either the dog or the owner. One such collar is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,293, granted on May 13, 1980, to Gerald Gonda, et al, which can emit a sound or provide an electrical shock to the animal in response to the dog barking. Similar approaches are used in invisible fences for dogs in which the dog wears a shock collar that delivers an electrical shock to the dog's neck whenever the animal gets too close to a wire buried in the ground to define the territory in which the canine is free to move about.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a training dog collar that would be effective in providing an aversive for a canine without utilizing the conventional pinch collar. It would also be desirable to provide an effective training dog collar that is easy to apply to the animal.